Mining machine



J. c; sPRo'UL MINING MACHINE Jan. 19, 1954 2 Sheets--SheerI l Filed Feb.25, 1950 Jan. 19, 1954 1 C, SPRQUL I 2,666,630

MINING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1 950 2 sheets-sheet 2 3 g H64 ,[37 45 /pv1.1, v

A ttorn e ys Patented Jan. 19, 1954 MINING MACHINE John Connel Sproul,Glasgow, Scotland, asi signor to Mavo:l & Coulson, Limited, Glasgow,

Scotland Application February 25, 195o, serial No. 146,183

(ci. 2oz-s) 5 Claims. y 1

This invention relates to machines for mining coal or other mineral andbelonging to a previously proposed type `having a cutter head adapted tostrip off vthe mineral in the advance ofthe machine by wedging 'orsplitting the mineral along a more or less vertical plane. Where, as isusually desirable, the machine is double-endedthat is to say, isdesigned to work in each of its two directions of travelthere are twosuch cutter heads.

In machines of the type stated, a cutter head has one or more wedge-likeface cutters which perform the main Vertical-plane cutting operation onthe seam, and a floor cutter in the form of a horizontal-edge wedge forremoving the mineral from the floor. Such a floor vcutter is usuallyformed or associated with a sloping ramp for lifting and deiiectingsidewise the mineral shovelled from the'i-loorr A cutter head may alsoinclude a horizontal-edged roof cutter, which would be arranged directlyVabovethe oor cutter.

Machines of the type stated are subjected to serious diiculties due tothe seriously varying nature of coal and other mineral seams, theextremely restricted nature of the space in which the machine must workand the irregularities of the oor and roof surfaces of mines.

In accordance with the present invention, a mining machine of the typestated has a cutter head which is connected to the frame of the machineso as to be tiltable sidewise in relation to its normal working positionunder heavy reactionary forces and which is associated with means actingto maintain it in said position.

The means of connection may be such that the cutter head is turnableabout a longitudinal axis.

The means acting to maintainthe cutter head in its normal Workingposition may be powerful centralising springs. ,p

Where the machine is double-endedreach cutter head may have lockingmeans for holding it rigid when it is the trailing head-that is, the

, cutter head out of use for the Atime being.

A machine of the before-mentioned type, designed for mining coal,.isshown by Vway of example in the accompanying drawings'to illustrate theinvention. In the drawings, Figs.v1

and 2 are a diagrammatic side elevation anda to a larger scale,--

p The general arrangement of the mining machine to which the inventionis shown applied is drsawn in simple outline in Figs. 1 and 2, theconstruction and operation of the machine in general not being materialto the present invention. In order that the relationship of theinvention to the machine can be adequately understood, the followingbrief description of the machine is given.

The machine shown is double-ended, comprising mainly a frame like body1, 8, 9 and I9, a carriage II and two cutter heads I2 and I3. The bodyconsists of two transverse end walls 'I and 8, to which the heads areconnected, and Vtwo longitudinal guide bars 9 and I0, on which thecarriage is slidably mounted. As will be obvious from Fig. 1 thestructures forming the heads I 2 and I3 rest upon the mine oor and bearthe weight of the entire machine. The framelike body I-I is locatedbetween the two heads and is supported by them clear of the mine floor.

The carriage incorporates hydraulic propulsion apparatus. This apparatusincludes a vertical hydraulic jack consisting of a cylinder I4 with afoot I 5, the cylinder being vertically movable in a holder I6incorporated in the carriage. and a piston-operated head I'I whichnormally rests upon the holder. The propulsion apparatus also includes ahydraulic ram unit consisting of a horizontal cylinder I8 and a ram I9extending from both ends of the cylinder and engageable at its ends withthe walls 'I and 8.

In order that the machine shall be propelled say from left to right (asviewed in Figs, 1 and 2) the jack is operated firstly to depress itsfoot I5 against the oor of the mine and secondly to lift its head I1against the mine roof. Y The jack thus extended provides a securelyanchored abutment. Next the ram unit is operated so that the ram I9 isforced to the right, the ram thus engaging the wall 8 and pushing theframelike body 'l-I0, with the head I3 leading, upon the mine floortowards the right, the guide bars 9, I0 sliding through the nowstationary carriage II and the heads I2 and I3 sliding over the minefloor. Thus, the head I3 performs its cutting stroke. Thereafter, thejack is operated so that its head' is lowered and its foot raised, thuscontracting'the jack and freeing it from the roof and floor. Finally,the ram unit is operated so that to the right hand end of the guide bars9, I0 to take up a new position of anchorage for the next Each of themain cutters 20, 2|, 22 and 23 is an edged plate that is attached to an.approximately wedge-like body, the bodies being indicated by 25, 26, 21and 28 respectively. The cutrter head includes a heavy casing 29 inwhich the bodies 25-28 are all pivotally mounted.

The casing 29 is attached by a joint 30 to the adjacent end Wall 8 ofthe framelike body 1 !0 of the machine. The joint 30 is a circular angewith a concentric circular protruding spigot 3|. the flange beingsecured `by screws 32 Ato the casing 29 of the adjacent cutter head andfitting into a recess 33 in the adjacent end Wall l8. The spigot engagesin a bearing 34 in the casing 2:9. The axis X-X (Fig. 3) of the.circular joint formations, namely the male formations 3,0, 3| and thefemale formations 33, 34, is horizontal and extends longitudinally ofthe machine, being parallel to the axis of the guides 8, le.

The casing 29, at opposite upper corners, has

two small laterally spaced housings 35 in which are tted plungers 3b,the feet of which are pressed downwards by powerful springs 31 againstthe top face 38 of the adjacent end wall 8. The pressure of the springsis adjustable by screw stops 39 against which they react. These springs,by pressing in opposition to one another with reference to the axis X-X,`strivevto maintain the cutter head in its central position, in

which the bottom of the head occupies a plane parallel to the foot l ofthe jack Ill-ffl] and which is its normal working position. Underexcessive turning force applied to the head, one of the springs isheavily compressed and yields,

thus permitting the head to tilt sidewise in `relation to its normalworking position. In the example, the sidewise tilting consists inturning of the head about the longitudinal axis X-X of the joint Bil-34the extent of such turning is limited to the small extent permitted bythe associated screw stop 38.

The cutter head also is provided with a bolt 40 for locking it rigidlyin central position to the adjacent end wall 8 of the frame. As shown inFig. 3, the bolt 4I) is mounted in a small housf i ing 4| secured to thetop of the wall 8, the bolt being in register with a hole 42 in thecasing 29 whenever the cutter head is in its central position. The boltis forn'led with a worm 4 3 and a square head 44 for turning it. A pin45 screwed through the housing 4| engages the worm. The arrangement issuch that, by turning the head ,44, the operator can move the lockingbolt vinto or out of locking engagement `with the hole 42.

In use of the machine, assuming that it has to work from left to rightas viewed in Figs. 1 yand 2, the trailing cutter head |2 le looked byitsA lockine bolt 40 (not Shown the drawings) and the leading (orworking) cutter head |3 is left -unlocked in its central position (asshown in Figs.

5 and 4). In the advance of the. machine, any of various variations fromnormal conditions may .be met. For instance, as the cutter head cuts-.a

4 the cutters 2| to 24 tends to cut deeper into the seam; and thistendency would impose a torque on the cutter head about the longitudinalaxis X--X of the joint 30--34. Alternatively, the floor of the minemight be inclined locally upwards to the right or the left, thuspressing upwards on one or other side of the oor cutter 123 and imposinga torque on 4the 7cutter head. By virtue of the joint 30-34, the headcan turn against the yielding opposition due to the combined action ofthe spring plungers 36; and the machine frame 1-I0 itself is saved fromtilting and other effects of excessive torsional stresses.

I claim:

l. A double-.ended mining machine of the type stated having Aalongitudinal frame, a pair of cutter-.carrying heads to bear upon a minefloor in order to support the weight of the machine, one vof said headsbeing at the leading end of said frame and one at the trailing endthereof, that .cutter head which for the time being is at the leadingend being arranged when occupying its normal working position to `cutmineralfrom a `seam ,in an approximately vertical plane at one side ofthe machine, a lconnection between each of said heads and said frame,both connections having a longitudinal axis and each head, when freetodo so, being tiltable sidewise out of its normal working position byturning about said axis, yieldable pressure means mounted on each cutterhead and pressing against an adjacent `end of said frame, the pressurebeing directed to maintain the head `concerned in its normal work ingposition, and locking means between the frame and each cutter head forholding against sidewise tilting that cutter head which for the timebeing is `at .the trailing end.

2. A mining machine vof the type stated having a longitudinal framecomponent, a cutter-carrying head component to bear upon a mine floor inorder to support the weight of the machine at the leading end of saidframe component, said head component being arranged when occupying' itsnormal working position to cut mineral fromv a seam in an approximatelyvertical plane at one side of the machine, a connection between saidhead and frame components such that the head component vis tiltablesidewise in relation to its rnormal working position by heavy forcesreactionary to the work of the cutter head component and the weight ofthe machine, and yieldable pressure means mounted Vyon one of saidcomponents and pressing against the other of said components to maintainthe head component in its normal working position but yielding .due tosidewise tilting of the head component when subjeoted to .excessivereactionary force.

3. A mining machine according to claim 2 in which the yieldable pressuremeans consists of compression spring means.

4. A mining vmachine of .the type stated having a longitudinal framecomponent, a cutter-carrying head component to bear upon a mine oor inorder to Support the weight .of the machine at the leading end of .saidframe component, said head component being arranged when occupying itsnormal Working position toy cut mineral from .a seam in ,an.approximately vertical plane at .one side .of .the machine, aconnection consisting `O f circular maleandffemale formations betweensaid heed and :frame-components, said formaaxis, under heavy forcesreactionary to. thework 5 oi' .the cutter head componentl and the weightof the machine, and a pair of yieldabie pressure devices mounted on oneof said components and pressing in opposition to one another upon theother of said components to maintain the head component in its normalworking position but either of them yieidingdue to turning of the headcomponent about saidraxis when subjected to excessive reactionary force.

5. A mining machine according to claim 4 in which the yieldable pressuredevices comprise powerful centralising compression springs spaced aparton one of said components to exert opposed turning forces on the otherof said components,

JOHN CONNEL 'SPROUL 5" References cited in the me of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,704,918 Morgan Mar. 12, 1929 101,761,060 n Van Slyke June 3, 1930

